A photo of violinist Patric Petrie and Bart Mendoza at the 2010 San Diego Music Awards, which took place at Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay. In the photo Patric's band, Skelpin, had just won the San Diego Music Award for "Best World Music Album" for their disc, A Trip to Skye, which was released on Bart's Blindspot Records label. Photo courtesy of Dan Chusid.
Blindspot
(music: Bart Mendoza /
lyrics: Bart Mendoza & Maya Morris)
Recorded by the Shambles at Blitz Recording Studios, San
Diego, produced by Richard Livoni with the Shambles, 1996. Bart Mendoza
(vocals, rhythm guitar), Kevin Ring (lead guitar), Mark Zadarnowski (bass),
Bill Calhoun (keyboards), Brad Kiser (drums).
Originally released on the Shambles Clouds All Day (1996, US / Blindspot) with the U.S. edition on Blindspot Records and two editions in Spain on SNAP! Records. The same version of the song appears on the compilation album, Into the Jet Stream of Pop (Canada / Beautiful Music, 2004).
“That one has an interesting creation story,” said Mendoza. “The song title itself was inspired by the word in a Wire song, but the chorus and the part of the first verse came from my being late to meet a friend, Maya Morris, one night. She left, but not before writing a note about some relationship troubles she was having, which she taped to my TV’s screen. I took that note, reworked the wording, added some lines, wrote a tune and had the song pretty much overnight.” This led to further collaboration. “I really liked the way she phrased things, so I asked if she had other writing I could see. She did, which inspired a batch of other tunes”
“Blindspot” has been covered several times, including by Michigan dream pop group, Glowfriends, who also performed a live version of the song on San Diego TV station, KUSI, by Serbian group, Eva Braun, and by Los Angeles based mod / power pop trio, The Eddies. The song also provided the name for Mendoza’s Blindspot Records music label.
Bart Mendoza's latest for the SceneSD is a preview of Ashley E Norton's upcoming album release show on October 23. The album, Veteran's Daughter, was produced by Jeff Berkley.
Read here: thescenesd.com/concert-scenesd/ashley-e-norton-album-release-event-october-23
Los Angeles based trio, The Eddies, new album Moving Forward includes covers of The Shambles song "Blindspot" and the Manual Scan songs, "Confidence and Love" and "Anymore." The latter has scored airplay on SiriusXM's Rodney Bingenheimer in The Underground Garage.
From 2017: A promo video for singer-songwriter Gaby Aparicio y La Buena Onda, featuring Bart Mendoza, producer Alan Sanderosn and fellow musician, Tolan Shaw.
A shared dressing room backstage for the night's presenters at the Ritz Theatre in Escondido, with Bart Mendoza joining radio icons Shotgun Tom Kelly and Dave Mason
Bart Mendoza's latest for the Times of San Diego, with previews of Allison Adams Tucker at The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, Fred Benedetti's John Lennon tribute at Dizzy's, Social Distortion at Petco Park / Gallagher Square, Rickie Lee Jones at the Belly Up, Burt Brion at Humphreys Backstage Live, Michelle Branch at the The Sound, Air Supply Music at Humphreys Concerts by the bay, Nathan Hubbard at the Jazz Lounge, Bow Wow Wow at The Holding Company and Laundry Day at Music Box Read here: timesofsandiego.com/arts/2026/09/29/this-week-in-live-music
Bart Mendoza's latest for the SceneSD: An interview with guitarist Bill Heck of The Rush Tribute Project in advance of their upcoming show at The Magnolia on October 10.
Read here: thescenesd.com/concert-scenesd/the-rush-tribute-project-moving-pictures-at-the-magnolia
A photo of a late-night jam session at long gone Little Italy / San Diego venue 98 Bottles. Photo courtesy of Dennis Anderson.
Bart Mendoza's latest for the SceneSD is an interview with Rosie Flores about her latest album, new single, touring with Robert Plant, and a life in music.
Read here: thescenesd.com/music-scenesd/rosie-flores-to-perform-at-humphreys-on-september-28/
Sad news: Violinist Patric Petrie, a longtime friend and collaborator of Bart Mendoza's, has passed away. The pair performed often as an acoustic duo, she occasionally sat in with True Stories, and joined the members of Manual Scan onstage backing Gary Heffern at the Tribute to Tim Mays, held in 2014 at the North Park Observatory. Notably Bart Mendoza released her solo album, Trip to Skye, and two albums by her band Skelpin on his label Blindspot Records. Photo taken at Java Joe's in Old Town, San Diego, circa the mid 2000's, courtesy of Keith Mautner.
IRS Records recording artists, Suburban Lawns, in San Diego, with Manual Scan, The Paladins, The Brat and more! October 1, 1982.
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On August 06, 2016 Bart Mendoza joined The Bassics at Al's Bar in Los Angeles for a run through "Come See Me." Also on the bill were Schizophonics Soul Revue, and the Capsouls.
David Fleminger and Bart Mendoza performing at the Athenaeum in La Jolla, CA on March 7, 2014
Bart Mendoza's latest for the SceneSD is a review of A.J. Croce's recent concert at Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay in San Diego.
Read here: thescenesd.com/music-scenesd/a-j-croce-live-at-humphreys-concerts-by-the-bay
The Shambles live at Fitzgeralds in Huntington Beach, CA., by B Belinda circa 1995. L-R Mark Zadarnowski, Bart Mendoza, Joel Valder, Kevin Ring
A Photo of the panelists at the "Zap! Pow! Rock! Comic Art as Album Art" panel at the 2016 Comic Fest. L-R Bart Mendoza, Batton Lash, William Stout, Mark Habegger and Scott Shaw!
Manual Scan in the late 1980's. L-R Bobby Allend, Ron Friedman, Bart Mendoza, Kevin Ring
Bart Mendoza's latest for the Times of San Diego, with spotlights on Jack White at The Sound, Melanie C (Spice Girls) at the House of Blues San Diego, The Toga Party Band at Humphreys Backstage Live, Vintage Girl in a Modern World at Golden Island, Power To The People at Queen Bee's Art & Cultural Center with Joey Harris, Riston Diggs and more, The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA at Humphreys Concerts by the bay, Geoff Tate at The Observatory North Park, Molly Hatchet at The Holding Company, Spyro Gyra at the Belly Up, and the SD/TJ Jazz Festival at the Quartyard
Read here: timesofsandiego.com/arts/2026/09/22/sporty-spice-to-jack-white-san-diegos-list-of-live-music
SDMA winning guitarist Wayne Riker and Bart Mendoza circa 2015, courtesy of Steve Covault
Bart Mendoza hosting an episode of So Cal Showcase circa 2012
True Stories at the Riviera Supper Club by Sherri Allen
Manual Scan instore at Record City in Hillcrest on January 10, 2015: Bart Mendoza, Kevin Ring, David Fleminger, Tim Blankenship, Jarrod Lucas
True Stories at Rebecca's Coffeehouse circa the early 2000's, courtesy of Dennis Anderson
True Stories at their 2014 appearance on much missed talk show, "Tonight In San Diego." They performed "Hearts On Sleeve" and in the outro, a bit of "In Your Arms."
A photo, originally in the San Diego Union Tribune promoting New Sounds Music Festival 1998, a five-day event held at Java Joe's.
Bart Mendoza's latest for the Times of San Diego, with previews of A.J. Croce at Humphreys Concerts by the bay, Brandi Carlile at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, Rolling Quartz at Music Box, A Tribute to Dorothy Ashby with harpist Tasha Smith Godinez at Dizzy's, Peter Hook & The Light at The Sound, Earth, Wind & Fire at The Balboa Theatre, Whitney Shay at Lou Lou's, Jeff Ousley's Live Music Showcase with The Art Street Boys, Sidetracked, Brianna Grace and the Appian Way Band, the Capital of Craft Beer Fest 2026 with Agent 51 and 80s Resurrection and, Mikan Zlatkovich and Ben Wanicur at the La Jolla Community Center Read here: timesofsandiego.com/arts/2026/09/15/live-music-this-week-in-san-diego-county/
Point Loma night spot, The Syndicate was short lived, but had a lot of great shows, booking mod, garage, metal, and indie bands. This ad ran in the San Diego Reader and features, not only Manual Scan, but also The Trebels, Fish & The Seaweeds , Playground Slap and more!
Bart Mendoza's latest for the SceneSD: Details on the expanded reissue of Eric Clapton & J.J. Cale's album "Road To Escondido," reissued by Surfdog Records.
Read here: thescenesd.com/music-scenesd/eric-clapton-j-j-cale-surfdog-expands-road-to-escondido
